Accelerant
by Seraina
Summary: Two uniquely powered firebenders meet, what could possibly happen? A series of one-shots focusing on the strange and unlikely pairing of Azula and the Combustion Man
1. Night Alone

So this is another entry into the Creepy/Odd Pairing Daily Drabble competition from the AtLA Fanfiction Challenges Forum.

Today's topic: **Azula/Combustion Man**

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><p>Azula was bored. So bored that she found herself walking the streets of Caldera city. Walking. Like a peasant. But she caught sight of a face that she hadn't seen in years. She followed the man to a bar that the lower ranked soldiers frequented. She ducked into a dark alley and pulled her royal headpiece out of her hair, then quickly pulled her tresses into a hasty bun at the base of her neck. She used the pins from her hairpiece to pin her trademark bangs back. There. The drunk peasants would never notice that she was their princess.<p>

She entered the filthy establishment and sat down beside the large bald man seated at the bar. She ordered a drink, throwing a copper piece on the bar.

The man turned and looked down at her, the third eye tattooed on his forehead making him difficult to mistake for anyone else. He raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to speak.

"I heard you were a mercenary now," she said, her voice pitched low, but audible to her companion.

He gave a short nod in the affirmative.

"I haven't seen you since the funeral, four years ago. You must have been close to my cousin," she went on, knowing that he would not interject. "I saw you in action just outside of Garsai and I am impressed. Is it much like controlling lightning?" Her golden gaze met his dark eyes.

She had been enamored with this man and his power since the first time she saw he and Lu Ten practice their fire bending at the royal training grounds. She would often ditch her own studies to hang around the older boys, showing off her own forms much to her older cousin's annoyance. She had even been present when the accident happened, was the one that held his remaining hand while Lu Ten ran for a healer.

"You've... gotten big, Zula," he says quietly, his voice deep and ragged as if his drink was full of ground glass.

She slid off the filthy bar stool and grabbed his hand, tugging him along with her. "Show me where it is you're staying." It wasn't a request. She had grown in many ways since she was a child that followed the older boys around. She fell the mighty Earth Kingdom with the sway of her hips and her honey'd words.

Her companion looked at her with a quiet intensity, she could tell he was interested in her. He took her to the inn he was staying at, the type that didn't ask questions when soldiers brought in women or men to their rooms. Once in his room, she sat down on the bed as if it were a throne.

He stood over her, staring down at the girl that blossomed into a woman. She stood and ran her hands along his powerful arms. He gathered her close, capturing her lips with his in an explosion of passion. She had admired him for his power and strength of will. She wanted him all to herself before the eclipse, before she would be needed in battle again.

It was like an inferno as they tangled together, he was focused and methodical, where she was unpredictable and wild. Once it was over, she lounged against his broad chest, running her fingers along the straps that held on his prosthetic arm. "How long are you going to be in town?" she purred, watching his stoic expression.

"Just tonight. Have a job to get to in the morning."

She rested her head against his chest, "A shame. But there's always next time, I suppose."

He was silent, but wrapped his whole arm possessively around her shoulders. They both knew this would be the only night they would have together. He was far too honorable about his contract jobs and she was the right hand of the Fire Lord.

She crawled up his form and pressed her lips to the tattoo on is forehead. "Agni protects." She whispered and gathered her clothes to slip back into the palace as if nothing happened.


	2. The First Meeting

_This was written for the Secret Admirer Competition for the AtLA Fanfiction Challenges Forum._

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><p>Azula liked following Lu Ten around. He was much more interesting than Zuko, who didn't even want to practice bending with her. So she followed her cousin as he entered the training ground and met his friend. She knew that soon her cousin would start his military career, so she was trying to get in as much time with him as possible.<p>

She didn't know his name, but he was so different than the other teenagers she knew. Where Lu Ten was fit and quick, this boy was broad-shouldered and unmovable, a build more suited to earthbending than fire. He was also a peasant who Lu Ten had met at the academy and brought back to the palace as his personal guest.

"Aright Azula," Lu Ten sighed as he noticed her. "Since you're here and not going to go away anytime soon, why do you show Kenta what you can do."

The young princess beamed and strode to the practice circle and showed off all her forms, including the three she'd just mastered the other day. When she finished she looked at both Lu Ten and Kenta for the praise that everyone else lavished on her.

Kenta looked at Lu Ten and quirked his head to the side, his expression strangely blank to the six-year-old. Lu Ten nodded. "Out of the way Azula, let Kenta show you real power."

Azula pouted and stepped out of the circle to stand next to her cousin. She crossed her arms. Nothing this Kenta could do would top her advanced bending. Nothing!

Kenta took a strangely rooted stance and nodded to Lu Ten, who picked a good-sized rock from the bucked that stood beside his feet. The rock sailed towards Kenta's head.

Just before the rock entered Kenta's reach, it exploded with a loud pop! Azula couldn't believe her eyes. How had he done it? "Do it again!" She commanded, needing to see this unique technique once more before she believed it was real.

Again and again, the rocks exploded before they even reached the strange bender.

"How do you do that?" She ran up to the teenager and pulled at his training gi. "I need to know!"

"Azula, stop grabbing at him. He doesn't know." Lu Ten laughed at her, trying to pull her away from his stoic friend.

"How could you not know?" She looked up at the stern face of the peasant.

He simply shrugged. "Explosions come naturally to me. Like fire does to you, Little Princess."

She thought about his words and nodded. Finally leaving the older boys to their practice, Azula made her way back to the palace and to her room. She pulled out her little-used paint set and went to work.

"Azula, it's almost time for dinner," her mother came into her room. "Azula! What are you doing?"

Azula looked up at her mother with disdain. She was always telling her that she needed to work on the skills she would need to become a proper lady. "Painting!"

Ursa stepped up behind her daughter. "What is it? Is it a flower?"

The princess sighed. "It's an explosion, Mother."

"Get cleaned up for dinner, you can finish painting later."

Azula sighed; she would have to wait to give Kenta the painting. But the effort would be worth it. He would enjoy it and admit that she was worth his time. She would just have to wait until tomorrow.


End file.
